GOLD, IRIDIUM, PALLADIUM AND PLATINUM IN REFERENCE STANDARD PCC-1 AND A KOMATIITIC PERIDOTITE: IMPLICATIONS FOR SELECTION OF IGNEOUS ROCK REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR PPB-LEVEL NOBLE METAL ANALYSIS |
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| Authors: | Noreen J EVANS James H CROCKET |
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| Institution: | Department of Geology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4M1, Canada |
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| Abstract: | New analyses for AU, Ir, Pd and Pt in the USGS rock standard PCC-1, carried out by two different radiochemical neutron activation procedures, are compared with similar analyses of a spinifex-textured komatiitic peridotite. Better precision obtained for most of these elements on the komatiitic peridotite, in conjunction with consideration of literature values for PCC-1, suggest that the volcanic peridotite is characterized by a more homogeneous distribution of noble metals than PCC-1, a plutonic peridotite. These results suggest that reference materials for the analysis of sulfur-poor mafic and ultramafie rocks with background levels of noble metals will be more satisfactory if volcanic rocks are selected. |
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